Red Rover Dog Training Centre Ltd.
for People & their Pets
One of the best things that I learned from Red Rover Dog Training was to be a calm confident leader. That allowed my dog to learn to completely trust me and to become a calm and confident follower.
Diane
St. Catharines, Ontario
We just finished the 9 week Puppy Good Start Program with Peter from Red Rover Dog Training Centre. The training was awesome. He explained things well and gave lots of hands on teaching with our puppy, Rocky.
I am glad we went with the 9 week puppy course, which transitioned to the novice course. Doing it this way made it easy for Rocky to learn the new skills since he already learned the basics during the first part of training. It was a wonderful experience 😀
Our pup has a great base of learning that we can build on. The 9 week course was the way to go. I could see how all the parts fit together and built on the skills 😀
Audrey
St. Thomas, Ontario
We received this video and the following email from Lee-Anne, who owns Dixie, a 2 year-old German Shepherd:
I am super happy with how its going! I never used to be able to let her have freedom down our trail, she would have been chasing cars and running around in the surrounding mucky fields before, but she is doing great and her recall is awesome.
It's so nice to be able to take her out back and let her stretch her legs a little more! Still lots to work on but She's doing awesome :-)
Lee-Anne
Belmont, Ontario
Lee-Anne and Dixie first came to us for training when Dixie was just a wee puppy, at around 12 weeks of age. After completing our puppy course, she then went on to do our Novice Group Obedience Class and passed with flying colours. This was in 2019 when we were still running group lessons.
Many puppy owners think that puppy training is plenty, but it's only the beginning. That's why we call our puppy program, The Good Start Program. Lee-Anne did not wait until Dixie was older, they transitioned from puppy to novice obedience training right away.
Next, Lee-Anne and Dixie enrolled in our Group Intermediate Obedience and completed the first of 3 parts before the pandemic had us taking a long break from being able to continue in-person training. Lee-Anne continued to work on her own with Dixie and came back for lessons once we were able to re-open. After 2 shut downs, and a longer than expected break for in-person training, Lee-Anne and Dixie returned and started back up again completed both the Intermediate Level Exam and our Off Leash Recall training program.
In case you are wondering, we use an e-collar to teach off leash reliability. We also use a long line as well - all off leash work starts on leash. All e-collar work is paired with trained obedience work. That's a lot of work!
Well done Lee-Anne and Dixie!
Hi! My name is Hudson. I was born on Christmas Eve and went home with my family on Valentine's day. I think I am a beautiful Golden Retriever and was almost perfect, but my owners disagreed, so I had to go to school. My teachers gave me a lot of home work but I never gave up and now I'm graduating with honours!
Hi! We are Hudson's humans. We came to Red Rover Dog Training with our beautiful 3 1/2 month old Golden Retriever. He was so darn cute but absolutely as mischievous and stubborn minded as they come! He pulled on the leash, peed in the house a lot of the time, jumped up and lightly bit everyone near him, barked at everything and was simply a very energetic, strong-willed and determined little puppy.
We signed up for training and soon realized that we needed the training as much as he did. The first two months were structured as what seemed to be the basics; sit, stay, heel, turning, etc. The steady progress of training taught both pup and human the proper basics of a happy relationship. More commands were introduced with close, personal training and then we advanced to the long line/off leash Recall training.
I have to say, at only 6 1/2 months old (and 60 lbs already) we are the proud family of a beautiful dog who walks happily beside us, pees outside, smiles politely at every dog and human who passes by, does not jump and bite at us, comes back when we call him, and can walk and run off-leash without having to worry about the stresses of every day life! He is so happy and well behaved and is a perfect member of our family.
Sandra and Peter were amazing at understanding our level of learning. They were very kind and patient. It took a few repeats but we never gave up and then one day the light bulb turned on and we finally got it! We are so confident now that we can handle any situation and are grateful to Red Rover Dog Training for giving us this opportunity. We also know that we can always reach out to Sandra and Peter if we ever feel the need for more guidance.
Be prepared, they really aren't training the dog, they're training you!!
From Hudson's very happy parents,
Cynthia and Jeff
St. Thomas, Ontario
Crystal contacted us to see if we could help her with their dog, Mya, a one year old Siberian Husky, primarily to help teach her how to walk without pulling, and other manners so that living with her would be more enjoyable. Sometimes people think that you just can't teach a husky to walk politely without pulling, etc. and hesitate to even try training them. You can see from the picture that Mya is walking ever so nicely with Crystal's son after just a few lessons. Here is what Crystal sent to me in an email:
My son had hockey practice in port Stanley so I decided to take Mya for a walk while he was on the ice. We walked for an hour from the arena up the harbour to hofhuis park and back. As I’m sure you know there are so many people and dogs out today. I could not believe how well behaved Mya was! She did not pull at all, left all of the dogs alone and did not stop to sniff anything. I only had to give her a little tug once or twice to quickly correct her behaviour. I’m looking forward to a summer full of dog walking now!
I assumed Mya would be difficult to train. I am very impressed with her progress. I can’t thank you enough for helping me have a much better relationship with my dog.
Crystal
Mya walking politely without any pulling
We were ready to give up but took the step to start some dog training classes. I am so glad we found Red Rover. Willow did so well following our first class. I would highly recommend Red Rover. Don’t give up, just take a class. You will not be disappointed.
Marcy and Jim
Rocky and Devin St. Thomas, Ontario
This is Rocky. Devin and his family adopted Rocky earlier this year. Rocky was extremely reactive to, well, everything. What you see here, a calm dog not doing anything, you may think that this is not very remarkable.
Not that long ago, walking Rocky was almost impossible. He was constantly lunging at anything and everything, pulling and barking. The first thing we did was work on leash skills while inside our school so that Rocky could learn to walk politely on a loose leash - what we call a structured walk. Once we got that down, we ventured outside and started exposing Rocky to different environments as part of his rehabilitation.
Rocky also had issues at home. Guests were a major source of reactivity so we taught him the 'Place Command' where we have the dog lie on a bed or mat. This is done on leash and Devin had Rocky right beside him when we practiced this. At first 'the guest' (me) had to be stationary since movement was one of Rocky's triggers, but he quickly settled into the routine of lying down and being still. It didn't take long for Rocky to get the hang of this and now his family can confidently have guests in their home again and Rocky has a place where he can calmly be part of the family too.
The muzzle also really helped - not because Rocky is a biter, it was simply a precaution - just in case. However, what ended up happening was it deterred random people on the street - dog lovers - from rushing over and trying to pet Rocky. Even when these well-meaning people were told not to approach Rocky, almost every single time, this warning was not listened to and it set Rocky back in his rehabilitation. Now, the muzzle is working wonders at giving Rocky the space he needs so that he can learn to calmly navigate the world that has so many distractions, trusting his owners to lead the way.
Rocky is doing extremely well. There's still some work to do, but what a huge improvement there is from the frantic, reactive dog we met not that long ago.
Clancey's owners came to us mainly because they didn't enjoy walking him. Clancey loved to pull! Clancey's size and his very outgoing personality made it hard for his owners to walk him. In fact, they used to argue about who was going to 'hang on to the leash'.
After completing the novice group class, Clancey's pulling is no longer an issue and he has great impulse control as well. He's still the same happy-go-lucky guy, but with more manners. They continued with some intermediate obedience classes as well, but the main thing that they were craving was to be able to have Clancey off leash without worrying that he would run off. Living where they do, there's a lot of space and they wanted to walk him off leash, but were afraid that he would not come back if decided to go chase a deer, a squirrel, etc.
Now, after completing our off leash recall lessons, Clancey is a dream of have on leash as well as off. Everyone is happier and enjoying every walk.
Sue
Clancey has more freedom now
We met Sandy and Peter in March 2019 when we went to observe one of their puppy training classes. We liked the way they handled teaching the puppies so signed up for when our own arrived.
We brought Biggles, an eight week old miniature Bernedoodle home at the end of April 2019. Our other dog was almost 15 years so it was ages since we had been faced with the demands of a puppy.
Sandy was extremely responsive to our questions and generous with her time. Before we started class she volunteered to make a home visit and help us with Biggles jumping and biting. The strategies she has provided us with have been effective and helped us make life less frustrating for ourselves and Biggles.
We attended Puppy Class and recently finished Novice Training. People who meet Biggles on the street or in a professional capacity are amazed by his behavior, he is gentle and compliant but still full of fun.
We went on a three week trip in August and Sandy as part of her Pet Sitting Service came and lived in our house with Biggles. It was perfect he was well cared for and better trained than before we left! It was also similar in price to what we felt were much less desirable options for a puppy.
The best thing was that Biggles clearly loves Sandy and gets really excited to see her. Both Peter and Sandy are excellent teachers the classes are fun and they have solutions to meet the particular needs of a dog.
Biggles is calm and well-behaved in all sorts of environments
We have benefitted from the equipment such as dog pens they have introduced us to. They have willingly lent us things while we decide what is the best to purchase for Biggles. I had no plans for further training but now am considering it as it is fun to connect with other dog lovers and be proud of your own and your dogs success.
Thanks Sandy and Peter, now I am almost as well trained as Biggles!
Julia
I found your teaching techniques and handling GREAT! Keep up the good work.
Marie
St. Thomas
I remember wanting to give up and was encouraged to continue with training. I had a lot of people over this weekend and couldn't believe Coco's behavior. Especially with men. She trusts everyone now. Thanks for your encouragement. I am also walking Coco down busy streets and over highway passes to get her used to not chasing cars. Also, I thought you would like to know that I often see old class mates walking their dogs properly on streets – they are so obedient – the boxer, the springer spaniel pup, who is full grown and beautiful!. You did a wonderful job for us dog owners in Grimsby and we thank you.
Maryann
Grimsby, Ontario
From the first time we consulted with Sandra about our dog's social and behavior issues. Red Rover Dog Training supported and guided us at our own pace and prepared us for real life situations. Now we have a happy and trained dog who can go for controlled walks and be a part of our social life again. Red Rover Dog Training exceeded our expectations. We never thought our dog would be able to do the things he can now. Thank you for everything, Sandra & Peter!
Matt & Lauren
St.Thomas, Ontario
I took my German Shepherd dog Sascha to Intermediate Training with Red Rover Dog Training in Grimsby. The course has far exceeded my expectations. Sandra King the Trainer uses very positive training methods. I am 72 years old and my dog is a very large, powerful German Shepherd, she could easily pull me off my feet. We now go on walks where she meets other dogs calmly. She is a pleasure to walk… no pulling on the lead. She sits, stands, lays down and comes when called. All this she does on the first command. There is no necessity to repeat commands as I see some people on the street saying “sit, sit, sit” or come, come here…. I give her the command once and she does it.
This course has strengthened the bond with my Sascha. She accepts me as her leader and trusts whatever I ask will be the right command.
I love working with her and I really look forward to going onto the Advanced course.
Judy
Grimsby, Ontario
Oskar and I were some of Red Rover's first students. What a great journey it has been, strengthening that bond with my dog as we progressed through novice and intermediate courses.
Sandra at Red Rover makes the courses comfortable for the dog and the human. This is extremely important since we, the humans, have just as much to learn about the dog training process as the dog!
I love the variety of skills Sandra teaches in her courses. The skills make my dog a good citizen in the world he lives in.
I love the extra learning opportunities offered through Red Rover. We have participated in the dog body language seminar and the weekly walk series, both of which were very rewarding.
Laurie
Dundas, Ontario
After a rough start to life my young dog was very wary of strangers and other dogs, but Sandra and her team were able to help me turn his behavioural issues around with a huge difference showing after only a few sessions. Thanks to Red Rover Dog Training I can now enjoy walking my dog without worrying what we might come across, and he is so much happier!
Lauren
Thorold, Ontario
Our 8 year old Jack Russell Terrier was driving us crazy with her aggressive behaviour not only to other dogs when on a walk, but also to other dogs, horses, joggers when in the car. Her excessive and loud barking made every outing a chore, and certainly no fun.
At her age we were sceptical that she could learn to modify her life-long behaviour.
On the recommendation of a friend, we met Sandra, owner of Red Rover. After Jackie's first training session and with the use of an e collar, she was markedly improved. By her 3'rd session, she had modified her behaviour entirely! Needless to say she is a happier, more socialized dog, and we are delighted owners. Next we tackled recall, and I cannot tell you how pleased we are that after all these years she not only listens, but obeys! She is a changed dog and we couldn't be more pleased.
Sandra's approach is professional but friendly. She is also very generous with her time and expert advice. Definitely a 10 out of 10!
Anna and Dave
St. Catharines, Ontario
To All Dog Owners,
My daughter and I have been volunteers with the Ontario Weimaraner Rescue & Assitance team for about 2.5 years. I have had dogs almost my entire life, and my daughter was born with a Weim to watch over her.
Recently we took on the responsibility of fostering a 3 year old Weim called Dexter. We were (at least) the 3rd family that had Dexter lived with and right from the start it was obvious that Dexter had some major behavioral issues. Dexter was scared of everything, and in particular scared of every dog he came across. His reaction to being scared was to bark, threaten and if needed, try to attack.
It was obvious to us that Dexter needed professional help. After searching for a trainer for months that was willing to take Dexter on, the OWR found Sandra and Peter at Red Rover. Sandra and Peter have spent a great deal of time and money to ensure that they are trained by the best minds in the business.
Over the next 25 weeks we moved from private lessons to group lessons, and incorporated our entire family into Dexter's education....and of course ours as well. After some time we were able to have Dexter take reasonable walks, and we were even able to incorporate him into some group sessions without too many "flare-ups."
We would have never thought that Dexter could be in the company of other dogs and be as accepting of them as he is today. Without Sandra's and Peter's help Dexter would not be the dog he is today.
Sandra and Peter are some of the nicest, most professional, most patient, most positive trainers we could have ever hoped to meet. They work hard at their craft, and we would recommend that any dog owner in southwestern Ontario consider them first when looking for help with their dogs.
Dexter, my daughter and I are all eternally grateful for their help, and we will never forget the difference that they made in Dexter's life.
Chris and Madison
Burlington, Ontario
Red Rover Dog Training school was just the approach I was looking for my stubborn 75lbs good natured rescue - a systematic process, step by step method to obedience with a ton of praise and positive reinforcement- delivered in a small class size, always with the Master trainer and canine plus often always extra instructor help present. Sandra King is professional, generous and supportive, caring deeply for her human and canine pupils alike. I am so happy with my results and we continue to grow and develop together. We're abundantly grateful.
Dr. Joanne
St. Catharines, Ontario
I am a huge fan of Red Rover Dog Training! I brought a boisterous one year old german shepherd to training classes and within a few weeks saw so many behavioral improvements in addition to his overall response to the basic obedience commands. Classes are orderly, follow logical progression and are fun!
Diane
St. Catharines, Ontario
Sandra and Peter are so positive and encouraging. They understand that every dog is unique, and as a result, they personalize the training to fit the needs of both their furry friends and human clients!
Leanne
Grimsby, Ontario